Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Smart LTE Goes Live in Baguio City, More Markets to Follow


Smart Communications, Inc. has flipped the switch for their 4G LTE network at Baguio City, just in time for the Panagbenga Festival and also making it the first 4G LTE network to go live at the summer capital.

“We are very pleased that residents of Baguio City and the tourists that are expected to flock to the city during Panagbenga will be among the first to experience the future of mobile broadband, which is LTE,” said Rolando G. Peña, head for technology of both Smart and parent company Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT).

With Smart LTE, users can download full HD movies in minutes, stream music or videos online without the buffering, and do other tasks that requires high-speed internet connection. Smart LTE was first demoed at Boracay last Holy Week, followed by their test-runs at Cebu, and also at Camarines Sur. The LTE network is now also up on Metro Manila.

Smart plans to bring their LTE network to more markets this year. “In line with our Internet for All advocacy, in the coming months we will bring LTE to other cities and municipalities all over the Philippines, as we upgrade our network and make it world-class, while at the same time, make it more stable and more reliable,” added Peña.

What isn't clear though is how users will be able to experience or use the LTE network at Baguio City. Smart's not yet offering any LTE capable device at the moment, I guess they will do demonstrations again at the city.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Summer is Coming Soon, Read These Tips on How to Travel Efficiently

Summer is fast approaching. And that means it's time for vacation and lots of travels! And I am here to give you tips on how to pack efficiently so your vacation will be fun and relaxing.

Image via daddu.net
Packing for a travel vacation may be hard for some. Sometimes, people want to take many stuffs as much as they can. But that is not always possible as there is a limitation on how much stuffs we can bring specially if we will travel on a plane. Want to save space on your travel bags? Read on.

How to Travel Efficiently
1. Think. Think what should you bring. Instead of bring separate things for different functions, think of a thing that can do all of the things that you will need in your trip. A good example, would be the Nokia N9. The N9 is an all-in-one device. Music player, camera, HD video recorder, not to mention it's still a phone. This is just an example, you can do the same for other things too.


2. Set priorities. When packing, you should make a priority list for different things. First things first, like your passports and tickets. Use your phone to make reminders, or you could just use a pen and paper.
3. Don't double. Toothpaste, shampoo, soaps. You don't have to take one of them for every people that will go with you, right? My suggestion, buy bigger packs of those kinds of things and just share them with your family. Much less load to carry.
4. Be Appy! Are you still bring your good 'ol maps? Why don't you just use your phone and download essential apps for your vacation? Nokia Maps will help you do the job for that. It is always reliable, ever. Other apps may include flight trackers, weather apps, etc.
5. Fill those spaces for souvenirs. If you followed the tips above, sure you've saved some space now. Fill those space with souvenirs before heading back home.
6. Wear large clothes now. Instead of putting your jackets, pants, and other big clothes in the bag, why not just use them when you travel? It will help you save space again, and will keep you warm if you'll be on a plane.
7. Check the forecast. Will it be rainy or sunny when you go out? Check the weather forecast from PAGASA, on the newspapers, or on TV. You may also use apps on your phone to check it. Did you know that Nokia Maps Suite has a weather app included?
8. Plan your activities. An itinerary list would be handy on your travel. If you're going to stay on a hotel at your destination, ask them if they are offering tour services. Tell them what places do you want to visit.
9. Check baggage rules. Contact the airline and ask the baggage rules before you go because they often charge for overages.

Now I hope you will have a happy, stress-free, and a wonderful summer vacation with these tips. =)

Monday, February 20, 2012

LG Optimus Vu Announced! Takes a Punch on the Galaxy Note

LG Electronics can't take the long wait and went ahead and announced their own phone-tablet hybrid, the LG Optimus Vu.


The LG Optimus Vu is a 5-inch phone-tablet hybrid that aims to steal the success from the Samsung Galaxy Note.

LG Optimus Vu Specifications and Features
5-inch IPS with 1024x768 (XGA) screen resolution
8 Megapixels main camera with LED flash, 1.3 Megapixel front-facing camera
32 GB internal memory
1.5 GHz dual core processor
2080mAh of battery capacity
Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS
HDMI
DLNA
Wi-Fi Direct
T-DMB support

An update to Ice Cream Sandwich will be made available within 3 months after the Optimus Vu is released.

Pricing and availability info for the Philippines is not yet available at this time. My estimate price for the Optimus Vu is around P27,000.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Have a Feature Phone with No App Store of it's Own? Then Try Globe's MyAppsMall


People today usually care for the operating system of the phone that they are about to buy, and if it has a lot of apps available on their respective application store. iOS has App Store, Android has the Android Market, Nokia Store for the Nokia devices, Marketplace for Windows Phones, and a bunch of other stores.

But what if you've got a feature phone, or other phones that don't have their own app stores? Where will you get your apps? Downloading apps on the web is very risky since there's a lot of threats in unauthorized apps.

Globe Telecom solves that problem by offering their own app store, introducing the MyAppsMall.

MyAppsMall offers apps and games to various phone brands, from Nokia, Samsung, LG, to Sony Ericsson (now Sony Mobile), and other brands, you name it.

Here's the top 5 must-have apps for me:
1. Opera Mobile - This browser is know for it's Opera Turbo technology which compresses web pages to save data bandwidth. Instead of loading up a whole 2Mb webpage, Opera Mobile will do the job and compress it to say 200kB. This will come very handy if you're subscribed to Globe's PowerSurf MB data plans.
2. FriendCaster - A fully loaded Facebook app for Android Phones with extra features such as photo editing with effects, this could be the best Facebook app ever for Android! Plus, it's free. I know Filipinos likes things with the word FREE.
3. TweetCaster - I'm always on Twitter. Before I sleep, I check Twitter. Before I get up in the morning, I check Twitter. Everyone seems to be doing the same. Get TweetCaster and it will make tweeting a lot more easier! It has multiple accounts support, TwitLonger support if 140 characters is not enough for you, and, posting to Facebook!
4. Windows Live Hotmail - Straight to the point, this is a Hotmail email client that you would appreciate. Checking your emails would be a breeze if you install this app!
5. Google - This app is the portal to everything Google! GMail, Search, Transalations, and more in one app.

That's the 5 apps that I always use on my phone in my everyday life. How about you? Download apps now at MyAppsMall to get started! =)

This is my official entry to the Globe-YugaTech My Apps Mall Contest.

Survey: Most Pinoys Still Own a Nokia Phone; 2012 to be a More Exciting Year

Nokia, the phone brand that is still preferred by most Filipinos last year. That results were from the recent Mobile Life 2012 study by TNS, world's leading custom research company. The survey was done in Metro Manila with 500 face-to-face interviews among people aged 16-60 in all economic classes.

320 (or 64%) out of the 500 people said that they currently own a Nokia phone. The percentage dropped from 70% of the previous year 2010. There's a huge leap on the second brand preferred by the Filipinos, with it getting only 12% (about 60 for every 500 people).

“These results from the Mobile Life Study of TNS only show that the Philippines is still a Nokia country,” says Dharmesh Goshalia, General Manager of Nokia Philippines. “Despite the deluge of other mobile phone brands, Nokia remains in the consciousness of Filipinos as a reliable mobile device that meets their lifestyle.”

Goshalia further reveals that Nokia has set its sights on making 2012 another landmark year. The company is geared up to deliver aspirational products that offer choice for consumers, with differentiation on quality and value for money. "Watch out for our Nokia with Windows Phones coming very soon. Those Lumia devices will amaze everyone who try it out. Also, expect more Dual SIM and QWERTY devices. We promise that it will be more fun with Nokia."

Dharmesh Goshalia, General Manager and Head of Sales for Nokia Philippines

Mobile Phones Now More Common than DVD Players
The study also revealed that mobile phones are now more commonly owned in the country than DVD players. Smartphone ownership also showed a significant increase since 2010.

Lumia 900 800, one of the Nokia with Windows Phones to "watch out for," says Goshalia.


The General Manager even let a word slip about the upcoming Nokia Lumia 900.

Exciting.

UPDATE: That was a typo error on the press release.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

A Wi-Fi Enabled Camera? Meet the Samsung WB150F Long Zoom Camera

Samsung Philippines announced the launch of the Wi-Fi enabled long zoom camera, the WB150F, which was just announced last January at CES 2012. The Samsung WB150F enhances the advanced optical zoom and image quality that the WB range is known for, with Wi-Fi capability to facilitate sharing and saving of images – wherever you are in the world. Housed in a compact, light and durable body, the new zoom camera from Samsung makes the perfect travel companion.

Featuring the Smart Wi-Fi technology, users won't have to look for confusing cables just to transfer their photos. Imagine taking a photo at a local Starbucks shop and uploading it easily to your Facebook and account without even having to open your computer!

This camera also have 18x optical super zoom that will make capturing small objects super easy, without sacrificing the very good details that usually happens on cameras which uses digital zoom. Plus, the WB150F is equipped with a 14.2 Megapixels resolution that in turn, you may view on it's 3-inch LCD display.

“Sharing photographs taken with friends and family is one of the most enjoyable aspects of travelling. It’s about more than simply capturing memories – it’s an integral part of the experience itself. Listening to our customers, we understood that being able to conserve memory by sharing images instantly was what was missing from the high-quality cameras that they trust. With this in mind, we added ground-breaking Wi-Fi functions to our travel zoom camera, building on the brilliant image quality that high-quality sensors and zoom lenses provide - now with the ability to store and share like never before.”, Mr. Ariel T. Arias, Business Unit Head of the Audio-Visual Group said.

Shoot Unforgettable Moments in HD
The WB150F is also capable of shooting 720p HD video in 30 frames per second. You can always capture the great moments happening and share them with other people, for example, on YouTube.

Make Everyone Else Freeze While You Dance
This is possible with the help of Samsung's Motion Photo. With Motion Photo, you can make one element of your photograph move while leaving the rest still. Sounds like you're in a Hollywood movie? Yes?

Create a Triplets of Yourself
The Samsung WB150F also features Split Shot. The Split Shot simply slits the viewfinder into 3 shots, which you can then combine later. Imagine taking a photo of yourself or anyone 3 times, the result? An instant triplets.

Don't Leave Others in the Photo
With the Live Panorama feature, you can take wide panoramic photos, be it your large group of friends or an amazing landscape view. Simply hold down the shutter button and sweep the camera sideways, you may then view the result in it's 3-inch screen.

Take Advantage of Your Skills
Take it to the next level! The WB150F allows you to experiment with the settings with the Full Manual Control, also taking advantage of the OIS (whatever that means, just kidding).

Click the photos to view in full resolution.


That's a lot of features, right? But hey, you don't need to shell out a huge pile of money to get the Samsung WB150F. This only costs P11,990! How amazing!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

UPDATED: New Telco Coming in the Philippines, Name is Vodafone?

Most of you have probably heard today about the news that Vodafone will be coming here in the Philippines.

Okay, so here's how it started. I was using Twitter this noon and I noticed a tiny Vodafone logo on the "Who to follow" box below the text box. At first I just ignored that who to follow thing as everyone does and typed what I'm about to tweet. But no, after looking at it again it turned out that it is an account for Vodafone Philippines.


If you visit their Twitter profile you'll see that they have no tweets yet, nor any announcements. The description of their profile reads...

Welcome to Vodafone Philippines’ official twitter account. You can also find us on Facebook and YouTube at /vodafonePhilippines. We are coming soon!

It seems that they are now putting up their social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. At the end of the description, they say "We are coming soon!".

Could they be the next big telecommunications company in the Philippines?

Vodafone is the second biggest telecommunications company in the world, basing on their number of subscribers worldwide. They have presence in many countries in Europe (UK, Germany, Italy, etc.), Africa (Egypt, etc.), Asia (India, Turkey, etc.), as well as Australia and New Zealand.

Well, this could be true. Just look at the two photos below.



What isn't clear at the moment is if they will have a partnership with one of the local telcos, specially Smart. I hope not, we need a new independent telco here.

UPDATE: Someone from Smart got back to me regarding the rumors of them having a partnership with Vodafone.

"Thank you for getting in touch with us but unfortunately we don’t have information regarding this at this time--best contact somebody from Vodafone."

It seems they also don't have clues regarding the upcoming - if true - carrier. He also added...

"Our current partnership with Vodafone only covers international roaming."
UPDATE 2: Someone from Vodafone UK has commented on the news...

"As Vodafone UK is a separate company to the Vodafone networks in other countries, albeit under the same Vodafone banner, we don't have any information on overseas expansions or acquisitions at this time."
UPDATE 3: Just found out that if you try to enter the URL http://vodaphone.com.ph (note the different spelling), it will redirect to http://vodafone.com.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Samsung Launches the NX200 Compact System Camera in the Philippines: Specs, Price, Release Date


Samsung Philippines just announced their new NX200 for the local launch in the country. The NX200 is a new compact system camera that can deliver professional standard photography. Equipped with a 20.3 Megapixels APS-C CMOS sensor, a 3.0-inch AMOLED display with 640x480 resolution, and Samsung's unique i-Function lens, the NX200 will let you easily capture high quality images without the need to carry huge equipment. It is also capable of capturing full HD videos (1920x1080) at 30 frames per second.

The NX200 also features the Smart Panel, which will make taking perfect pictures simple and fuss-free, even for first-time users. An intuitive control comes from the camera’s Smart Panel featuring a Hot Key, enabling users to jump easily to key functions without the need to scroll through confusing menus to get to their desired shot.

The Samsung NX200 is now available in the Philippines for P39,990.



Tuesday, February 7, 2012

LG Optimus 3D Gets Gingerbread in the Philippines


I'm not sure whether the Gingerbread update has been out for the LG Optimus 3D for a while now, but I saw this post on LG Philippines' Facebook page announcing that the Gingerbread update for the device is now finally available. I guess it only applies to Philippine models.

To get the upgrade for the Optimus 3D, follow the instructions below.
1. Visit the LG Philippines homepage (http://www.lg.com/ph).
2. Select “Support > Mobile Phone Support”.
3. Find the model number of your phone (LGP920).
4. Click on and install “WINDOWS USB Driver”.
5. Click on “Software Update” and open the file.
The LG Mobile Support Tool will be installed automatically.
6. Connect your smartphone to the PC using the USB Cable.
7. Click on “Start Updating”.
8. After completing the upgrade, unplug the phone.

Better late than never, right?

Via: LG Philippines

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Smart Launches the Bro Rocket Chic Wireless Dongle





Smart Communications launched a Twitter campaign just earlier today, using the hashtag #RocketHigh. And then a few hours later, they have finally unveiled the Smart Bro Rocket Chic, a new device that belongs to the Rocket line-up that is designed for the women. And just as the other Rocket devices from Smart, this one also runs on their HSPA+ network and is capable of achieving speeds of up to 12 Mbps.

The device itself is coated in a pink acrylic finish, which is a very good gift idea this Valentine's Day. The Smart Bro Rocket Chic is priced at P2,345, and is now available at Smart Online Store and Smart Stores nationwide.

Smart is actively deploying more and more HSPA+ cellsites around the country. As of now, they have a total of 1,501 HSPA+ cellsites in the country, with more to be added soon.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Windows Phone Marketplace Now Available in the Philippines!


Good news to all Windows Phone owners in the Philippines! Microsoft has just flipped the switch today and now, the Marketplace is now officially available in our country! That means we may now use our local credit cards to buy apps and games for our Windows Phones!

To be able to access the Philippine Marketplace, you need to update your phone to Windows Phone 7.5, which obviously you should have by now. Marketplace is now also available in Argentina, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Peru.

But Microsoft needs to work on a very serious (or not) issue. A lot of Windows Phone users selected different countries just to access the Marketplace, for example, I selected the US for my account. At the moment, there is no option to change it to another country, i.e. the Philippines. I hope Microsoft will consider on taking requests to change it.

Happy apping! :D

Source: Windows Phone Blog

Samsung Launches the Galaxy Tab 7.7 in the Philippines


Samsung Philippines will finally launch the Galaxy Tab 7.7 later today at Eastwood, Quezon City! The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 was announced way back in September 2011, and is only launching this time.

The official SRP for the Galaxy Tab 7.7 is P32,990, which is a bit high in the 7-inch category. But hey, it has a very sleek metallic look, and it has a Super AMOLED display! Samsung will be offering discounts today at the event, ranging from P1,000 up to P25,000 discounts! So, what are you waiting for? You may want to drop by there now.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Specifications and Features
7.7-inch Super AMOLED screen display with 1280x800 screen resolutio
1.4 GHz dual-core processor
3 Megapixels autofocus primary camera with LED flash, 2 Megapixels front-facing camera
16/32/64 GB internal memory which is expandable up to 32GB thru micro-SD
5100mAh of battery
49 hrs of talk time on 2G, 27 hours of tal time on 3G, 50 hrs of music playback time
GSM / EDGE - 859/900/1800/1900
HSPA+ - 850/900/1900/2100
Up to 21Mbps HSPA+ speeds
WiFi b/g/n
Bluetooth 3.0
A-GPS and GLONASS support
Gyroscope
Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS

Via: Unbox.ph

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Nokia (Symbian) Belle Appears on Navifirm! For Prototype Devices For Now

Today is February 1, isn't it? Save for some time zones, of course. But Nokia seems to have already, or is already putting up the firmwares for Nokia (Symbian) Belle for the N8 on Navifirm. The official version will be 111.030.0609. The current variant available for now is for the 0585950 product code, which seems to be for a prototype device.

Other variants for other countries should follow up immediately!


Via: Symbiantweet

No Samsung Galaxy S III on MWC? Due in H1 2012

Samsung has just issued that the successor to it's flagship Android phone, will not be announced on MWC this February. Instead, it will be announced on a separate event later this year, on the first half of 2012 to be exact. However, Samsung is said to be "introducing and demonstrating exciting new mobile products" at MWC.


This is a good news to current Galaxy S II owners as they will have more time to enjoy their phones without thinking of it as already obsolete.

Samsung, by the way, announced a refresh to it's original Galaxy S, dubbed the Galaxy S Advance, which packs a 1 GHz dual core processor, and a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen.




Via: The Verge

Nokia (Symbian) Carla Appears on Nokia Developer! Will be Also Available for Older Devices?

Four bug reports mentioning the new update for Symbian devices has been spotted at Nokia Developers! The next update after Nokia (Symbian) Belle is indeed will be named Carla. Firmware version 112.010.0404, dated January 3, 2012 has been reportedly running on Nokia 701, and possibly on Nokia E6 and E7 too.

Does that mean first generation Symbian^3 devices will also receive another update after Belle? Another excitement is building up on me.





Source: Nokia Developer
Via: MyNokiaBlog